The First Cut
by OzManiac
Summary: Willow's life takes a sudden turn which could lead her to Oz - but will he have her back? *CHAPTER 8 AND CONCLUSION NOW UP*
1. Chapter One

tfc1

DISCLAIMER: The BtVS characters in the following story belong to Joss Whedon and not me. However, the plot is of my own devising and and I'm just borrowing the characters for a little fun.

AUTHOR: Oz Maniac

SYNOPSIS: Willow's life takes a sudden turn that could lead her to Oz - but will he have her back?

TIMELINE: Set a year after ep, 'New Moon Rising'. The second part of season five hasn't happened.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story is a repost after the original was taken down due to RL intruding.

****

The First Cut

A scream resounded around the dark and uncharacteristically foul smelling basement of Willow Rosenberg's house then faded away to nothing, leaving a battered Slayer and shocked witch in the resulting silence. 

"I can't believe Tara was a demon," whispered Willow as she took her hands away from her ears in what had been a useless attempt at blocking out the death cry of her former love. Tears formed in the redhead's eyes and slowly made their way down her cheeks.

Buffy Summers turned away from the sight of Tara's now demonically changed body laying on the ground with a dagger through her heart and moved over to comfort Willow. She put her arms around her friend and hugged her. "I'm so sorry Will. I know how much she meant to you."

Willow's tears turned to sobs and Buffy slowly led her out of the cellar.

**********************************

Daniel 'Oz' Osborne put his guitar back in it's case and let out a heavy sigh. It had been a good gig but he was tired and couldn't wait to get back to his apartment for some sleep. He suddenly paused for a moment as a familiar scent reached his nostrils and he felt his weary spirits lift.

"You were good tonight," came a voice from the empty dance floor in front of the stage.

Oz looked up and then smiled. "Hey gypsy," he greeted the petite, raven haired woman that stood before him holding a bundle of receipts and a calculator in her hands. "And thanks, I thought it went well too. Although, when Dizz jumped into the crowd and no-one caught him I thought I was going to have to get a new singer."

The woman laughed softly then moved to a chair near the stage and sat down. "Is he going to need many stitches?"

"Nah, only three or four." Oz snapped the lid of his guitar case shut and sat down on the edge of the stage. "Luckily he only hurt his head so it wasn't anywhere that would do any serious damage," he added dryly.

He was rewarded with another warm chuckle before the woman bent her head to read through the receipts and Oz felt his heart stir for the first time in a long while. It was almost year in fact. A year since he walked out of Willow's life for good. Even now, when he stopped and thought about it, it still had the power to hurt as though he had only left last week. He knew he'd done the right thing in leaving, but it hadn't made his choice any easier and he'd not been interested in another woman since; that is, until he'd met Serena.

'Serena. How her name suits her personality,' Oz thought to himself. 'Tranquil, calm, never angry.' He watched as she rapidly punched numbers into the calculator and his eyes roamed over her beautiful face which was partially hidden by the long mane of jet black hair that fell to her waist. He smiled as he thought of his nickname for her – gypsy - that's what she looked like - wild and untamed, something which had drawn him to her from their first meeting just six months earlier.

Oz had turned up at her nightclub, "The Stargazer", hoping to get a gig for his new band, "Bite the Bullet". He had been surprised when the barman had pointed her out to him, she didn't look like a typical club owner. When he had approached her, she had looked at him with those dark brown, almost black, eyes of hers and smiled sweetly before arranging for him and the rest of the group to come back the next day so she could hear them play. 

After just one song, Serena had stopped them and within an hour the band had been hired to perform on a regular basis. 

Since then, he and Serena had become good friends. She had told him how her much older husband had killed himself and left her with the club to run and a mountain of debt. He, in turn, had spoken of Willow. He shook his head bemusedly at the way he instinctively trusted her and then frowned slightly he realised that object of his thoughts had just spoken and was awaiting an answer.

"Uh, sorry, I spaced for a minute there. What did you say?"

"I said, it's a year since you left Sunnydale and there's bound to be a lot of memories, are you OK?"

"Sure. I haven't even given it a thought," he dismissed lightly. The look in her eyes told him that she knew he was lying and he quickly dropped his gaze. Feeling uncomfortable, he grabbed his guitar case and jumped down from the stage. "I'd better get going. See you in a couple of days," he mumbled and walked out of the room.

Serena stared sadly after him for a long while, then sighed and shook her head. She gazed back down at the receipts and mentally raged against the woman that unknowingly still held the heart of the man she now loved.

***********************************

Buffy peeked around the door of Willow's bedroom and let out a sigh of relief. She shut the door then went downstairs to the kitchen. Buffy's former Watcher, Rupert Giles and Willow's oldest friend, Xander Harris both turned and looked at Buffy expectantly as she entered the room. 

"It's OK, she's asleep," she informed them and their worried frowns eased a little.

"Good, that's probably the best thing for her now," commented Giles as he took off his glasses and absently began to clean them. "She needs the rest after all that's happened." 

"Yeah, but what the hell _did_ happen?" asked Xander and wrinkled his nose in disgust. "I mean I know there's an ugly dead demon in the basement, but what is it and how did it get here?"

"It's been a lot for her to take in," said Buffy as she agreed with Giles and apparently ignored Xander's question. "Maybe we should have told her of our suspicions and not let her find out like this."

Giles replaced his glasses and shook his head. "No, we couldn't take the chance of Willow saying anything to her."

Xander looked first at Buffy, then at Giles and back again. "Hello? Who her? Say what? What's going on here?" he asked in a loud frustrated voice; he hated being kept out of the loop.

"Tara is the dead demon in the basement," Buffy told him abruptly.

"What?" Xander's mouth dropped open in shock. 

"Yes, we've had our suspicions for quite a few months now. We just didn't know what she was up to so we kept an eye on her," Giles explained. 

Xander looked at them both and shook his head in disappointment. "I can't believe you didn't tell me." He turned away, walked into the lounge and flopped onto the couch.

Buffy rolled her eyes and sighed then motioned for Giles to follow her into the lounge to join a very disgruntled Xander.

"We're sorry, Xand," apologised Buffy as she sat down next to him and patted his hand. "But the less people that knew about it the less chance there was for Tara to find out we were on to her."

"OK," conceded Xander. "I understand why you did what you did."

"Good."

Xander gave half a smile. "Now are you going to tell me what happened or do I have to go and wake Willow up?"

"Don't you dare," Buffy warned him with a frown then suddenly her expression lightened. "Actually, I think Giles should tell you the details while I go and make us a coffee."

Xander's eyes widened in a silent plea but Buffy just winked at him and looked at older man expectantly as she stood up.

"Oh, uh, yes, yes of course," Giles assented and sat down on the edge of the chair facing Xander. "And you can take your time Buffy, there's quite a lot to tell."

"Sure, no problem." Buffy shot one last look at Xander and couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped as she saw the look of resignation set in as soon as Giles started to speak.

The slayer entered the kitchen and switched on the kettle. She took three cups down from the cupboard and put a spoonful of coffee in each then leaned back against the counter and studied her nails while she waited for the kettle to boil.

In the lounge, Giles was recounting what they'd found out. "You see, D'Hoffryn was the chap who wanted Willow to become a full vengeance demon."

"Yeah, I remember him Giles," commented Xander with a roll of his eyes. "When do we get to the good part where Tara gets knifed in the basement?"

"I'm sure I'll be able to satisfy your bloodthirsty streak in good time Alexander," admonished Giles with a frown. At the boy's contrite squirm he continued, "When Willow refused to join him I was worried that he would send someone or something to try and change her mind."

"And that was Tara? She was sent by D'Hoffryn?" the young man interrupted incredulously.

"Yes. She acted as a go between, keeping D'Hoffryn updated with progress reports as she slowly tried to convert Willow and channel her magic practices towards his line of work. And she almost succeeded. A few more months of her influence and who knows what might have happened."

Xander shook his head. "Nah, my Willow wouldn't have gone over to the dark side. She hasn't got a bad bone in her body."

"Maybe not, but she does have a heart and love can be a powerful thing Xander. Tara manipulated Willow's affection well."

"Manipulated?" queried Xander with a frown.

"Yeah, we caught her casting in the library," interjected Buffy as she walked into the room with a tray of steaming hot coffee's. "It seems she needed somewhere that had a lot of Willow vibes. When she saw us, she bolted and I chased her here. She was just about to kill Willow when I showed up."

"You said she was casting? As in a spell?"

"No, as in a net," retorted the slayer sarcastically. She shook her head in exasperation. "Of course a spell."

Xander scowled. "Dare I ask what it was for?"

"I haven't checked the ingredients yet to confirm, but I rather gather it was a love spell," Giles supplied. "The effigy and lock of Willow's hair, not to mention a bracelet that Buffy recognised as the one Willow lost just over a year ago, all seem to point to it."

"Oh my God," groaned Xander as he realised the extent Tara had gone too. "Does Willow know?"

"Yes. Actually, she confirmed it," Buffy sighed. "As soon as we'd left the basement Willow told me that suddenly all her feelings for Tara had gone. I thought it was just reaction but she said it felt the same as the time you got Amy to cast that wonderful Valentine's Day spell that backfired."

"Hey," exclaimed Xander indignantly. "Aren't you people ever going to let me forget that?"

"Nope."

Xander rolled his eyes dramatically and shook his head. "So, how's Willow taking it? I mean, this was a lot heavier than what I did."

"Not well, but I have a feeling it's not because of Tara," replied the slayer as she thought back to Willow's reaction. She'd taken the witch into the lounge where she had just stared into space for a long time. Suddenly she whispered, "Oh my God, what have I done?" before breaking down in tears and running upstairs to her room. Buffy followed and at her attempts to console her, Willow had shrugged off her friends arms and asked to be alone. Buffy had respected her wishes and gone back downstairs to phone Giles and Xander.

"Well who else would it be?" asked a puzzled Xander breaking into Buffy's thoughts.

"Oz."

The name caused the three friends to stop and reflect on what had happened just a year earlier when he had returned and Willow chosen Tara.

"It certainly puts that whole incident into a different perspective," mused Giles. "It wouldn't surprise me if that's the reason Tara was casting again. Oz meant a lot to Willow and it would have been hard to totally dispel those feelings from her."

"When Oz came back that time, Willow did say that she felt all her old feelings for him returning," confirmed Buffy.

"Well, that explains it then. Tara couldn't turn Willow until she was completely under her influence." A wry smile tugged at Giles mouth and he eagerly sat forward in his chair. "It's all rather fascinating actually. To think that Willow's feelings for Oz were so strong that even by using witchcraft stronger than we've come up against before, Tara still had trouble. It's amazing how powerful the human emotions are don't you think?"

"Yeah, amazing," repeated Buffy with a glare.

Giles looked contrite. "Yes, well, I suppose this isn't the time to pursue that line of thinking."

"Nope," agreed the slayer and stood up suddenly. She looked at the two men seated in front of her and ordered, "Now's the time to bury Tara."

END PART 1


	2. Chapter Two

PART 2

PART 2

Oz tossed and turned in his bed then finally kicked off the covers and got up. He walked slowly over to the window and pulled back the curtain to look out at the full moon glowing brightly in the black velvet sky. No wolf tonight. No wolf any full moon now, it was all under control. No-one was around to upset him anymore. No Willow.

With a sigh he let the curtain fall back into place then turned around and walked into the kitchen. He turned on the light and flicked the 'on' switch for the kettle then sat down at the wooden table in the middle of the room. Resting his head against his right hand, he let his mind wander as he waited for the water to boil.

A year on he knew he still wasn't over Willow but, he also knew that she wasn't constantly in his thoughts anymore. So, upside. Unfortunately, he couldn't seem to be able to move on and love anyone else. He frowned; downside. Still, he did like Serena. He felt comfortable around her, they shared the same sense of humour and she seemed to like him too. He smiled; there was that upside again. Maybe he would ask her…the switch on the kettle clicked announcing it was ready and Oz left his thought incomplete as got up to make himself some coffee.

Drink made, he sauntered back to his bedroom and opened the curtains then put his cup on the nightstand next to the bed. He lay down then put his arms behind his head and gazed out at the moon. Smiling slightly, Oz realised that he actually missed the wolf sometimes. His smile faded as he recognised that, in all honesty, what he missed was the fact that Willow had always been there for him during those nights. It had made them even closer until he'd wrecked everything when Verruca had come to Sunnydale.

Oz closed his eyes in despair as he let himself remember how he'd hurt Willow. After all he'd put her through, it wasn't surprising that when he'd returned she had already found someone else. 

Oz opened his eyes and focused on the moon again. A new determination filled him and he reached for his drink as he made a pledge to himself. He wasn't going to live in the past anymore. Sunnydale and it's inhabitants were behind him now and he was going to move on. He'd done his penance and grieving for what he'd ruined and lost. Now was the time to make a fresh start. He'd got a great new band and good friends around him and he was going to ask Serena out on a date…

He choked on his coffee at the last unbidden thought and hurriedly put the cup down as a coughing fit ensued. As the shudders eased he tentatively let the thought come again. "I'm going to ask Serena out on a date, " he whispered aloud. "I'm going to ask Serena out on a date, " he repeated louder and a grin spread across his face. His heart lifted and he lay down feeling suddenly sleepy and at peace – this was definitely an upside.

*********************************************

Buffy made her way slowly upstairs and along the passage to Willow's bedroom. Tara was now safely buried and Giles and Xander had gone to the library to check out what spell she'd been using on Willow and whether it would have any side effects.

The slayer reached the door and lightly knocked. When there was no response she opened it a fraction and poked her head around to check on her friend. The sight that met her eyes made her open the door fully and walk in.

Willow was dressed and placing clothes into a suitcase. Tears were rolling down her cheeks unchecked.

"What are you doing?" Buffy asked quietly.

"Packing."

Buffy watched her friend fill the case and shut the lid. "You're going to find Oz." It was a statement not a question.

Willow nodded and looked up at the slayer. "You know…the last time I saw him I said that I still loved him on some level." A small smile briefly lit her face before it faded and her lips trembled. "I guess that was the real level, huh?"

She raised her hands to cover her face and abruptly sat down on the edge of her bed as harsh sobs racked her body.

Buffy hurriedly walked over and sat next to her. She wrapped her arms around the distraught girl and rocked her gently. "Shhh, it's OK," she soothed. "Stop blaming yourself. You couldn't have known what was happening."

"I just can't believe I turned him away like that," Willow whispered. Buffy bent her head to hear what she was saying. "I mean, he practically cured himself for me. All he thought about was me while he searched for help and…and…I just threw it all back in his face. I'm such a horrible person. How could I do that to someone I love?"

Buffy shifted her arms to Willow's shoulders and pushed the girl away a few inches to look into her face. "Listen to me Willow. It's not your fault, OK? Tara put a spell on you and no matter how much you loved Oz, the spell was always going to be stronger. There was nothing you could do about it." The slayer released her grip and bowed her head. "I, on the other hand, could have prevented this."

Willow wiped her eyes and stared at Buffy in surprise. "What do you mean?"

Buffy shrugged. "Well, I feel sort of responsible somehow. Giles had his suspicions about Tara but I was so wrapped up in Riley at the time I didn't take as much notice as I should. And by the time I did take an interest, Oz had been and gone." She gave her friend an apologetic smile. "So if anyone's to blame about this whole thing it's me and I'm really sorry Will."

The redhead gave her a watery smile and then shook her head. "It's not your fault Buffy, I should have been stronger. Now I have to find Oz and see if I can repair the damage I've done. I just hope I'm not too late."

The slayer nodded. "Where are you going to start looking?"

Willow looked away nervously and stood up. "Uh, I thought I'd…uh…go and see…um…Angel." 

"Angel?!" 

At Buffy's shocked voice, Willow turned and looked at her. "Yeah, is that alright with you?" she asked in concern. "Because if it isn't then I won't go."

"Uh, no, no that's fine. I just hadn't expected that you'd go to him for help," Buffy explained. She smiled reassuringly and then frowned slightly. "I think you should take someone with you though Will. I don't like the idea of you going off on your own."

Willow sat back down next to her friend. "Well, I was going to ask you but I wasn't sure you could go."

"I can't. But maybe you could take Xander?"

"Xander? But what about Anya? I mean, she won't be happy about me borrowing her boyfriend for a what could be a long time."

"Don't worry, I'll talk to them both," Buffy assured her. "Just promise you won't leave before morning OK?"

Willow smiled. "OK."

Buffy hugged her friend again then stood and walked over to the door. She paused with her hand on the doorknob and looked back at Willow with a smile. "And don't worry Will. I don't think it'll be too late with Oz."

END PART 2


	3. Chapter Three

PART 3

PART 3

Serena entered the main dance floor of her club and watched 'Bite The Bullet' set up on stage. Dizz, the singer and keyboard player from Britain, looked none the worse for wear after his kamikaze jump into the crowd two nights earlier. The only thing different about him was the fact that his usually pony-tailed shoulder length blond hair was now loose about his face, in what was obviously a vain attempt at hiding the resulting bruise and stitches on his forehead.

The club owner's eyes moved to Matt, the dark haired drummer, who was absently twirling a drumstick in his right hand as he checked over the kit in front of him. 

Serena smiled as she watched him. He was a quiet man, so quiet that she'd never even actually spoken to him. That aside though, he was one of the most talented drummer's she'd ever heard play.

"Hey does this sound flat?" Saul asked the other band members and strummed the acoustic guitar he was holding. 

"Yes," they all shouted back as a horrible twang filled the air that caused Serena to cringe.

"OK, OK, you don't have to shout," Saul said indignantly. "Geez."

He continued to mumble to himself and Serena grinned. Saul was a terrible moaner but no-one could deny that he played, and partied, extremely well. If he practiced more there was no doubt in Serena's mind that he'd be a great lead guitarist one day but at the moment he was second to Oz.

Serena turned her gaze to the short man who was deep in concentration checking the strings on his electric guitar. As she stood and watched him, her face softened into a dreamy smile. She saw his fingers stop moving and his features take on a slight frown before, without warning, he looked up and stared straight at her. A smile spread across his face and he winked at her then looked back down to his instrument and continued to strum.

Serena stared at Oz in disbelief. Had he just winked? Her surprise turned into a huge grin and she turned back towards her office not realising that Oz watched her go with an equally big grin of his own.

*************************************

Willow and Xander sat down in front of the huge desk and stared at the vampire that sat opposite them. 

"Well, what can I do for you two?" Angel asked coldly. "I never thought to see any of you again after…" He stopped not wanting to remember how things had gone with Buffy, it was still too sore a subject.

"Hey, do you think we came here because we had any other choice deadboy?" Xander challenged frostily. "Trust me, there's plenty of other places I'd rather be than here." 

Angel's face grew angry and he shoved his chair back roughly as he stood up. Xander began to rise too but Willow put a restraining hand on her friends arm. "Why don't you go and wait outside for me Xander," she ordered gently.

The young man opened his mouth to refuse but Willow added a plaintive, "Please."

Xander looked down at her sad, gaunt face and felt his anger slip away. He knew he couldn't ruin her chances for help. "Sure, call me if you need me." He shot another nasty look at Angel then left.

Angel sighed and sat back down. "So, now he's gone, do you want to tell me what brought you here?"

Willow cleared her throat nervously. "Well, I…I was hoping that you…might be able to help me find…Oz?" she asked optimistically.

Angel looked at her in silence then leaned forward and rested his elbows on his desk. "I thought I heard that you were involved with someone else. What happened, didn't work out?"

"You could say that," she muttered. Angel raised his eyebrows questioningly and with a sad sigh Willow recounted all that had happened to her over the last few days.

The vampire's face gradually softened as the details of the events unfolded before him and he held out a box of tissues to Willow when she came to a faltering stop, tears running down her cheeks.

She took a couple of the proffered tissues then wiped her eyes and blew her nose. "So, will you help me?"

After a slight hesitation, Angel nodded and Willow let out the breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. "Thank you."

Angel stood. "Look, it's late. Come back tomorrow night and I'll see what I can do for you, OK?"

"But…can't I stay and help?" 

The desperation on the young woman's face touched the vampire but he firmly shook his head. "No, I'll work quicker alone." 

He opened his office door and looked expectantly at her. Willow stood and slowly walked over to him. She paused when she got level with him and smiled softly. "Thanks again Angel, you're a good friend." With that, she left and the vampire sat back down behind his desk.

When he was sure both Xander and Willow had gone, Angel pulled open a desk drawer and rummaged around until he found a small piece of card. He held it up to read the name and number. After a couple of seconds, he grabbed his phone, picked up the receiver and began to dial.

It was answered on the third ring. "Starlight," came a voice trying to be heard over the noise in the background.

Angel hesitated for a moment before saying, "Yeah, hi, I need to speak to Oz." 

END PART 3


	4. Chapter Four

PART 4

PART 4

Oz put down his guitar then he, along with the rest of the band, walked off stage for their well earned break. 

"OK, we're back on in ten, so Dizz, tonight, promise me that you won't try and down seven whisky's this time, huh? Stitches don't do a thing for you man," Oz warned him.

"I beg to differ, my friend. The girls all want to nurse me back to health and I just love playing 'Doctor', you know what I'm saying?" 

Oz rolled his eyes as his singer laughed somewhat maniacally and waggled his eyebrows. "Just take it easy tonight OK?" he requested.

"Oh, for heaven's sake man, lighten up and stop having a cow." With a shake of his head, Dizz sauntered off followed by Saul and they were soon surrounded by a group of girls all vying for their attention.

"Some people you just can't get through to, you know?" offered Matt, who was still stood with his boss.

Oz sighed and faced his drummer. "Yeah, I know. Let's just hope he doesn't do anything too stupid. I'd hate to have to try and replace him." He shot one last worried look at his other two band members then turned around. "Come on, let's get a drink."

They made their way over to the bar and ordered cokes. Several girls tried to make conversation but neither of the two men were interested. 

As they chatted to each other, Serena appeared and smiled at them both. "It's going very well tonight. You guys sound better all the time."

Oz smiled and thanked her but Matt just swallowed nervously and looked down into his drink. Serena frowned a little at the drummers reaction but soon forgot about his strange attitude when Oz lightly touched her arm. She looked at him and he leaned forward, trying to make himself heard over the crowd of people. Now was the time to ask her, if he waited any longer then he knew he'd lose his nerve. Time to move on.

"Gypsy, I know this is kind of sudden but I was wondering if…"

"Oz. Telephone," interrupted the barman as he tapped Oz on the back and held out the receiver for him. "Sounds urgent."

Frustration warred with resignation as Oz looked at Serena apologetically. "Can we talk later?"

"Sure. Just come to my office after you've finished tonight."

Oz nodded and reluctantly let her go. He turned and took the phone from the barman then held it to his ear trying to make out who was calling him.

"Hello?" No reply. "Hello?" he asked again, his patience starting to wear thin. 

"Hi, Oz?" inquired a faint, vaguely familiar voice over the phone.

"Yeah. Who's this?"

"Angel."

Oz went cold with dread and gripped the phone harder for a second. "Has anything happened? Is Wil…I mean, is everyone OK back in Sunnydale?"

On the other end of the line Angel smiled to himself. Obviously Oz hadn't got over his former love yet. Maybe they had a chance after all. Suddenly realising he hadn't answered Oz, Angel hastened to reassure the man on the other end of the phone, "Don't worry, things are fine. Better than that even." 

Oz sighed audibly and loosened his hold on the phone. "So, what's up?"

"Oh, nothing much," the vampire replied nonchalantly. "That's why I thought I'd call and see if you were playing tonight. I'll drop by later and we can have a chat when you finished. You know, talk about old times."

"Old times?" repeated Oz incredulously. A frown creased his brow as he wondered what Angel was up to. Realising he wouldn't know until he spoke to him he added, "Sure, why not. I'll meet you by the bar around midnight, OK?"

When Angel agreed the time, Oz put the phone down and stared into space still trying to work out what was going on. Angel and he had only spoken a handful of times since Oz had moved to L.A. and that was only because the musician had asked the vampire to keep him informed about the goings on in Sunnydale. 

"You OK?" asked Matt. When he didn't get an answer he clicked his fingers in front of Oz's face. "Hey Oz, can you hear me?"

Oz blinked a couple of times and his frown cleared. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Bad news?"

Oz shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure," he replied slowly.

Matt gave him a puzzled look but Oz snapped out of his reverie and turned away to look for the other band members. He sighed as he spied them over the other side of the club surrounded by females and a drink in each hand. It was going to be a long second set.

*******************************************

Xander placed a cup of hot chocolate in front of Willow and sat down next to her. They'd driven back to their hotel in relative silence and had decided to watch a movie on TV in Willow's room.

Xander glanced over at his friend who was apparently engrossed in a musical that was playing. "So Angel's gonna help you right? That's great."

Willow nodded. "Yeah, I didn't think he would at first but he was really nice after I told him what happened." She turned and looked at him with a frown. "I just wish you hadn't lost your temper like that. Angel was bound to be defensive after that whole Buffy and Riley thing."

Xander opened his mouth to object but decided against it. He knew Willow was right but Angel had always managed to anger him in the past and after tonight it was apparent that he always would. 

He sighed loudly. "Sorry Will, you're right, I wasn't much help." He held up his right hand as though taking an oath. "But I'll be on my very best behaviour tomorrow night I promise." He then produced his best 'forgive me' face and was rewarded with a smile from Willow.

"You'd better stick to your promise Xander Harris or I'll get Buffy onto you when we get back."

"No, anything but that, please," he begged in mock fear.

Willow giggled and reached for her drink then sat back and sighed. "I just hope Angel has some good news for me tomorrow."

"He will," Xander assured her and felt his stomach drop when he saw her eyes fill with tears. He just wished he could stop her pain. "Hey," he began brightly but was interrupted when the phone rang.

Willow turned wide eyes to him and he nodded. "Don't worry, I'll get it." He picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Xander? What are you doing in Willow's room at this time of night?" came a suspicious female voice.

"Hey Buff, we're just watching TV before going to bed."

"Going to bed?" exclaimed Buffy. 

"Not together," he added hastily. "Willow to bed in her room and me to bed in mine."

"Uh-huh. Can I speak to her?"

Xander handed over the phone. "It's Buffy."

Willow nodded and took the receiver. "Hey."

"Hey Willow, so how'd it go?"

The witch told Buffy about her conversation with Angel. "I just hope that he finds something out," she concluded.

"Well, if I know Angel, and I do, he'll do his very best." The slayer paused then asked, "Did he…did he…mention me at all?"

"Uh, no, I'm sorry Buffy, he didn't."

"Oh…well…I didn't think he would…really."

Willow was saddened when she heard the longing in her friends voice. Since Riley had betrayed her four months earlier, the Slayer had determindly stayed tight lipped. No one knew exactly what had happened, just that he had almost killed Buffy when he'd set up a trap with Spike. Willow wished that Buffy would at least speak to her about it but, apart from saying that she wished she'd listened to Angel when he'd returned that time, she had steadfastly refused to talk about it any further. Willow felt shut out by her friends actions but still clung to the hope that one day she'd break her silence. Willow sighed. "Did you want me to give him a message?"

The answer was so long in coming that Willow thought Buffy had hung up. "No," the Slayer replied finally. "I think I've already said enough."

"But…"

"Uh, I'm sorry Will, I've got to go. Uh…Giles needs me. Bye."

Willow tried to interrupt Buffy's hastily spoken words but the receiver was down before she could respond. "Bye Buffy," she mumbled before replacing her own handset.

She went and sat back down next to Xander. "I think I may talk to Angel about Buffy tomorrow. You know, tell him about Riley, I'll bet he doesn't know. What do you think?" 

She turned to Xander expectantly and then smiled. He was fast asleep, his arms folded across his chest and head slumped to one side. Willow quietly got up and turned off the TV before getting a blanket from her room and covering him over. "Night Xander," she whispered then turned off the light and went into her bedroom hoping things would seem better in the morning.

**********************************

Angel entered the darkened, smoky night-club that was The Starlight and walked over to the bar totally oblivious to all the admiring looks he was receiving from the female clientele. He leaned against the bar and watched the band that were just finishing their set. He picked out Oz and noticed he was glaring at the lead singer who was stumbling a little across the stage as he sang the last few words to the slow song they were playing.

The set finished and Oz immediately put his guitar down and all but dragged the singer off stage. Angel could see a relatively heated exchange take place and then Oz turn around and walk away, the singer giving a two-fingered gesture to his boss' retreating back.

Oz approached Angel and came to halt facing him. "Having trouble?" the vampire asked, nodding towards the singer who had now collapsed and fallen into a heap on the steps up to the stage.

Oz followed Angel's gaze and shook his head with a deep sigh. "I'm going to have to look for a replacement." He glanced back at Angel. "You don't sing do you?"

The vampire smiled and shook his head. 

"Worth a try," Oz commented with a shrug of his shoulders and then asked, "Do you want to go and sit down somewhere?"

Angel nodded and they made their way, through the throng of people that were starting to disperse for the night, to a table near the back of the club.

They sat down and chatted idly for about ten minutes until Oz's curiosity finally got the better of him and looked expectantly at Angel. "So, what's up?"

The vampire looked back at him in surprise. "Why do you think anything's up?"

"Well, you and I have never talked about 'old times', so why start now? There's got to be something more to this visit than you're telling me."

Angel smiled slightly. "Actually there was something…" he paused as a petite black-haired woman walked up to them and touched the shorter man's arm. 

"Hi, I hope I'm not interrupting anything," she said to Oz.

Oz smiled back and shook his head. "Uh, no, not at all. I was just talking to an old friend of mine." He gestured towards the vampire. "Gypsy, this is Angel. Angel this is gypsy, she runs the club."

Angel offered his hand out to the woman in front of him and smiled. "Hi Gypsy, nice to meet you."

Serena chuckled and took his proffered hand. "Actually, my name's Serena. It's nice to finally meet one of Oz's friends." 

"Why don't you sit down?" asked Oz and gestured to the chair next to him.

"Oh, no that's OK," Serena replied. "I'll let you two talk." She touched Oz's arm again and added quietly, "I'll see you later?"

Oz nodded and, after a brief smile directed to Angel, Serena walked away. The vampire sat back in his chair and noted the way, a softly smiling, Oz stared after the woman that had just left them. With a jolt he realised that something totally unexpected had happened - Oz had found someone else. This development caused him to pause for a moment. Should he now tell Oz about Willow? Would it be right to interfere or better to just leave him alone to get on with his life? More than that, was it fair to Willow? Angel, himself, knew what it was like to try to win someone back who had moved on. Did he really want to Willow to go through that pain?

"You OK?" 

Oz's voice snapped Angel out of reverie and he nodded before hurriedly saying, "Yeah, I'm fine." He paused then said, "Uh, Serena seems nice." 

"She's great," Oz agreed, the soft smile returning as he continued, "she's had a tough time but she's still so positive, you know? She's helped me out a lot. We got on together from day one. It's just like we connected or something. I mean, I can talk to her just as easily as I did with…" He cut himself short and looked away.

"Can't you even say Willow's name?" Angel asked quietly at the silence that now descended over them both.

"I find it's best if I don't," Oz admitted with a sigh. "That way I can try to forget."

"Do you really want to?"

Oz looked back at Angel in surprise and then shrugged. "It's time to move on."

"You astonish me," Angel stated and leaned forward. "I thought you did that ages ago."

"It was last night actually," Oz replied drily. "I had this weird talk with myself, it was interesting."

"So you 'do' still have feelings for Willow then?"

"I'll always have feelings for her," Oz acknowledged quietly. "But, I know she's happy with her choice and that's all I care about."

"What if circumstances changed?"

Oz frowned suddenly. "Why are you asking all these questions? I thought I said I was trying to forget."

Angel stared hard at the young man opposite him and made a decision. "No particular reason but, can I give you some friendly advice?" At Oz's shrug he continued, "Don't be hasty. It's not often you get a second chance, Oz." He stood up to go. "Believe me, I know. If it happens, don't waste it."

With that, the vampire walked away, leaving behind a very bemused Oz.

END PART 4


	5. Chapter Five

PART 5

PART 5

Willow stared into the blackness of the bedroom and forced back tears. For the first time since Buffy had killed her lover, Willow allowed herself to think about Tara. Her mind drifted back to their first meeting and the subsequent way their relationship had developed. 

All the joy they'd shared in each others company and all the power she'd felt when joined with Tara while casting a spell - it was all a lie. Gradually, she allowed herself to remember the night she'd found everything out. 

Was it really only four days ago? Four days since she had opened her door to find an extremely agitated Tara standing on her doorstep demanding to be let in as a demon was supposedly chasing her.

Frightened, Willow had shut and bolted the door after Tara had entered and reluctantly followed her lover down to the basement at her request.

"Why did you want to come down here?" Willow had asked in confusion. "If the demon gets in the house, we'll be trapped down here. I think we should call Buffy."

At the last comment, Tara had turned to her angrily, "Oh! Buffy, Buffy, Buffy, that's all I ever hear you say. I'm sick to death of her and her do-gooder ways."

"But Tara…" a surprised Willow had begun to object.

"But Tara, what?" the other girl had interrupted wrathfully. During the ensuing shocked silence, she had then adopted a Willowlike pose. Highering her voice in a mocking imitation of her lover she had goaded, "Oh Tara, please don't speak about my wonderful, too good to be true friend like that."

Willow had frowned and began to get upset. "What's the matter with you?" she asked in a hurt voice. "I don't understand…" 

"That's your problem Willow," Tara had spat nastily. "You never understood anything." She had laughed disdainfully and begun to walk menacingly towards her. "God you were so easy to fool. My shy and awkward act reminded you of yourself didn't it, Willow?" she had goaded.

While talking, Tara had walked into a slightly shadowy area of the basement and Willow had begun to feel the first fingers of fear slowly creep up her spine as she heard Tara's voice suddenly become lower. When Tara had moved back out into the dim light, Willow and gasped and shrank back in horror at the ugly, demonic face that was once her love. Her eyes had turned white, her nose had lengthened and her mouth was wider revealing uneven teeth. Her skin had darkened and wrinkled her features beyond recognition. 

Fear held Willow immobile as Tara came to stop right in front of her and grabbed hold of her arms. "What, no kiss?" the demon had asked and leaned in with an evil smile.

Willow had reacted then and, with a scream, had pushed against Tara with all her might whilst also kicking her hard on the shins. Taken by surprise, Tara had loosened her grip on Willow's arms enough for the girl to break free and make a run for the stairs. She had barely got three or four steps up, when she was grabbed from behind and virtually thrown across the room. She had landed in a heap by some old chairs, winded, but not hurt.

Tara walked towards her, malice in her every feature as she pulled out a small dagger. "What are you doing?" asked Willow as she looked fearfully at the weapon. "No. Please, don't hurt me." 

The tears that started to run down Willow's cheeks just seemed to infuriate Tara even more. Without a word, she grabbed hold of Willow's t-shirt and pulled her upright. Willow struggled but Tara held her firm, then raised her arm in preparation for the kill.

Just as Willow thought she was sure to die, the door to the basement suddenly burst open and she had heard Buffy's voice calling her. She remembered that she had called back and then Tara had been pulled away from her suddenly. What occurred afterwards was still pretty much a blur.

A fight had ensued between Buffy and Tara, of that Willow was certain. But, how many blows were dealt she had no idea as she'd stared blankly at them wrapped in her own private misery. Then suddenly, a loud piercing scream had made her jump and brought her back to her senses. She had pushed her hands to her ears in a vain attempt to block out the sound and when the scream died away to silence, she had stared in shock at a heavily breathing Buffy who was standing over a very dead Tara.

She remembered crying at what she'd 'thought' she'd lost and now, as she lay in her lonely bed in the hotel, she began to cry for what she now 'knew' she'd lost. She just hoped and prayed that he wasn't lost for good.

***********************************************

Oz knocked on the door of Serena's office and, at the call of her invite, went in. She was writing in the club's account book and looked up to see who entered. Seeing it was Oz, she grinned and gestured for him to take the seat opposite her desk.

"Your friend's gone?" she asked shutting the book up and leaning back in her chair.

"Yeah, he had some things to do."

"Oh, I see. Well, what did you want to talk about? Are there problems with the band?" she asked getting down to what she thought would be business.

"There's always problems with the band," he replied dryly.

Serena raised her eyes expectantly and waited for him to continue. 

"Look, how about we go out somewhere and get some coffee?" Oz asked suddenly. He gestured to the four walls of the office. "I feel like I'm back at high school and I've done something wrong." 

Serena grinned and nodded her head in acceptance. "Come on, I know just the place," she said as she stood up. "It's dirty as sin and the waitresses are rude as hell but the coffee's excellent."

"You make it sound _so_ tempting, I can't see how I can refuse." He grinned back at her and they left.

Ten minutes later, Serena led Oz into the worst café he'd ever seen. "Man, you weren't kidding," he said as he took in the various cracks in the wall and partially cleaned tables. He followed her to a table near the grimy window and they sat down facing each other.

"Cool, huh?" she chuckled, then looked up as a shadow fell over their table. "Two coffee's please," she told the gum chewing waitress.

"That all?"

"Yes, thanks."

The waitress blew a bubble and scribbled their order on her pad. Then she ripped the page off and put it on the table before giving Oz a dazzling smile and moving away.

"She liked you," Serena commented with an arch of her eyebrow.

"Must be my animal magnetism," he commented with a touch of irony.

Serena tilted her head to one side as she studied him intently. "You know what? I hadn't really noticed it before, but I think you're right. There is something…wild… almost _dangerous_ about you."

Oz involuntarily glanced through the window and up at the moon, high in the black sky. "Yep, that's me," he said quietly, as he turned his gaze back to hers. "Wild and _definitely_ dangerous."

Serena was shocked by the sudden chill that went down her spine as he uttered those words. Something told her that they weren't to be taken as lightly as he'd spoken them, but she couldn't work out why. His expression gave nothing away and he looked perfectly at ease, but still…there was something he was hiding. She was sure of it.

She was prevented from asking him anything further when the waitress reappeared and unceremoniously slapped their cups of coffee down on the table, the liquid slopping over the edge. "Enjoy," she commented as she walked away.

"How could we miss," Oz muttered humourously as he picked up the cup. "Cheers," he saluted before taking a sip. At Serena's questioning look, Oz nodded in approval. "You're right. It _is_ the best coffee."

His friend smiled and took a sip from her own cup. "So, what did you want to discuss?" she asked curiously.

"It's not anything I want to discuss exactly," Oz replied. "More like, ask."

"OK, so what did you want to ask me?"

Oz hesitated slightly before replying. "Well, basically…out."

"Out?" Serena repeated with a puzzled frown.

"Yeah, like on a date. Out." At her shocked, open-mouthed expression and complete silence, Oz added. "Course, if you don't want to because of the club and everything…you know, what with me working there…then don't worry, that's cool.

"No…no, it's not that," she managed to reply in a weak voice. "It's just so…unexpected. I mean, I thought you…" She shook her head as if to clear her thoughts and then said, "I was under the impression that you still felt something for Willow."

Oz sighed and glanced out of the window again before looking her direct in the eyes. "Gypsy, I won't lie to you. I think I'll always feel something for…her, but I'm ready to move on. _You_ make me _want_ to move on." He covered her hand with his. "This is the first time I've felt like this anyone since I left Sunnydale. I…I like you"

Serena smiled felt a flush creep up her cheeks. "I like you too, Oz," she replied somewhat shyly.

"Is that a yes?" he asked hopefully.

She nodded and grinned. "That's a definite yes."

END PART 5


	6. Chapter Six

PART 6

PART 6

Angel looked up as his office door opened and Willow and Xander walked in. He took in the girl's wan appearance but hopeful look and knew he wasn't going to be able to do anything but tell her the truth. She deserved that at least.

"Did you find him?" Willow asked as soon as she'd sat down.

"Yes, I did," Angel replied quietly.

"You did?" she repeated in surpise. Even though it was what she had wanted to hear, it had still come as a bit of a shock.

Angel nodded and pulled a small business card out of his shirt pocket. "He's working at this club."

"But this is right here in L.A.," Willow gasped as she read the address.

Xander looked over her shoulder in surprise and also read the card. "That's not too far from here," he commented, then looked up at Angel suspiciously. "How long have you known about this?" he wanted to know.

The vampire looked away, not wanting to lie to the pair of them.

"You knew where he was when I came here last night didn't you? You've known all along," Willow surmised. "You went and saw him didn't you?" It wasn't an accusation.

Angel nodded his head and looked back at her. 

Xander leaned forward angrily. "Why didn't you tell us? Don't you know what Willow has been going through?"

"It's OK, Xander. He was just doing what he thought was best," said Willow.

"You're defending him?" he questioned in surprise. He shook his head in disbelief. "I don't believe it."

"Look, I wanted to check out the situation before I gave out any information," Angel said calmly. 

"And what _is_ the situation?" Willow asked cutting across more protestations from Xander. 

"Well, he has his own band now and they play at the Starlight four nights a week. He has his own place a couple of blocks from there and he's still in control of his wolf side…"

"That's good. And is he…is he seeing someone?" she asked with some hesitation.

"No, but there is a woman that he likes," he replied honestly. "A lot."

Willow felt her heart lurch. "Would you tell me about her, please," she requested quietly.

"Well, her name is Serena and she took over the club when her older husband died. She seems nice and it's pretty obvious that she likes him too."

"What does she look like?" she asked curiously.

"Long black hair, brown eyes, petite, beautiful..."

Willow nodded as she digested the information. "I see. Does he know I'm here?"

"No."

She felt relieved at that knowledge and smiled at the vampire. "Thanks Angel."

She and Xander stood up to go.

"He still loves you, Willow," Angel said softly.

She stopped and looked back at him, a spark of hope lighting her eyes.

"He's playing at the club tonight. If I were you, I'd go and see him," Angel advised softly. 

The witch smiled tremulously and nodded. On impulse, she walked around his desk and bent down, kissing him gently on the cheek. "And if I were you, I'd call Buffy," she whispered before quickly moving away and walking out of the room with Xander in tow. 

***********************************

Serena sat down at one of the tables by the stage and settled herself comfortably on the seat to listen to the end of the rock number the band were performing. They were due for a break and she wanted to spend a little time with Oz.

A few feet behind her, the doors of the club opened and Willow and Xander entered. 

"I don't know if this is a good idea," Willow suddenly said as she turned around and walked back out.

Xander shut the doors again and followed her out. He grabbed her shoulders and turned her around then stared into her face. "You've come too far to give up now, Will," he told her sternly. "That's Oz in there. You can't just leave without knowing if there's a chance that you could be together again."

"But, I hurt him and he likes someone else now. Maybe I should just go and let him be happy."

"He would be happy with you!" her friend pointed out.

"Xander…I'm scared," she whispered suddenly. "What if he won't even talk to me? I couldn't handle that."

Xander pulled her into a hug and sighed. "Oh, Will, of course he'll talk to you. I know this is hard, but if you don't at least see him, then you'll regret it for the rest of your life. You _have_ to go in."

Willow pulled away and smiled. "When did you get to be so knowledgable about emotional stuff?"

He grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "Anya's taught me well."

The witch stared at him and nodded in approval. "You know, I think she has. I'm so happy for you both."

They hugged briefly again and then Willow held her head up proudly. "OK, I'm ready. Let's do this."

Xander opened the doors and they stood in the entrance for a moment, letting themselves adjust to the low lighting, then Willow spotted Oz. 

Time stood still as images of when she used to watch him at the Bronze flooded her mind. She greedily drank the sight of him in. His hair was dyed strawberry blond and a little longer than the last time they'd met. Her eyes then lovingly reacquainted themselves with every feature of his sweet face that was a study in concentration as he played his guitar. Moving down, she stopped at the hands that were moving with their usual agility and grace over the instrument's strings.

But the thing that brought tears to her eyes most of all, was the overwhelming surge of love she felt course through her body. It was good to feel it again.

She grabbed hold of Xander's hand and squeezed it hard, causing him to yelp in pain. He looked at her then noticed her gaze was fixed upon something on the other side of the club. He followed her line of vision and, he too, saw Oz.

Xander patted her hand supportively and led her over to an empty table then sat down. The whole time, Willow's eyes never strayed from the stage and Oz.

"I can't see her can you?" Xander asked looking avidly around the club. "I mean, if she looks as good as Angel said then she should be easy to spot."

"Who?" responded Willow distractedly.

"Serena of course," Xander explained, still searching the faces of the people in the club.

"Xander!" exclaimed Willow in a hurt voice and dragged her eyes away from the stage fleetingly.

"What?" he replied all innocence. "I'm just curious."

His interest was soon satisfied when the band finished their set and they saw Oz jump off the stage and walk over to a young woman that was sat at a table nearby. 

"I guess that's her," Willow said unemotionally as she watched him sit down and take hold of the woman's hand.

Xander let out a low whistle. "Nice…," he commented appreciatively then noticed his friend's pained expression at his approval and hastily covered,"…in a 'could be taller and wear less make-up' kind of way."

Willow smiled in spite of herself and felt some of the tension ease. 

"Are you ready?" he asked her. 

"No," she replied getting up from her chair. "But I'm still going to talk to him. Like you said, I've come this far…"

Xander also stood and followed as the witch made her way, albeit slowly, over to where the couple were sitting. They were a little way from the table when Willow stopped and drew in a sharp breath as she watched Oz lean forward and lovingly kiss Serena. As she stared, it felt like someone was inching a knife slowly into her stomach, the hurt was so intense. It was too late. 

She went to turn away but Xander's hands clamped around her arms and held her fast. "You've already faced one demon Will…now's the time to face your personal one," he ordered quietly into her ear.

Willow knew he was right and looked back at the couple who were still kissing, wondering what she was going to say. She wasn't given any time to think about it, because at that moment, Oz suddenly broke the kiss with Serena and turned to stare directly at the witch, shock evident in his eyes.

He'd recognised her scent as soon as he'd started kissing Serena and had momentarily let himself imagine that it was Willow he was with. The thought had brought him up short and he'd pulled back guiltily. For a fleeting moment, he thought he'd conjured up her familiar smell out of some perverted sense of betrayal, but then he realised that it was very real and it surrounded him totally. He'd looked around and there she was… standing a little way in front of him…after all this time.

Xander took hold of his friends arm and all but dragged her the remaining short distance to the table. "Hey," he greeted cheerfully and held out his hand towards the guitar player. "Oz, man, it's good to see you again."

Oz automatically reached out and shook it. "Xander, good to see you again too," he mumbled, never taking his eyes off of the redhead by his friends side.

Xander turned his attention to Serena. "Hi, I'm Xander and I'm guessing you're Serena?"

"Yes, I am," she confirmed with a puzzled look.

"We're old friends of Oz's," Xander supplied helpfully. "We thought we'd look him up on the way through town…you know." He saw the curious look Serena was giving his friend and introduced her. "Uh…this is Willow." From the look of pure shock that crossed the raven-haired woman's features, he knew that Oz had obviously mentioned her.

Serena recovered quickly, then held out her hand towards the witch. "Oz has told me so much about you, it's nice to finally put a face to the name," she told her graciously.

Keeping the happy smile pasted on his face, Xander gently nudged Willow on the back to try and snap her out of the daze she appeared to be in.

"What? Oh! I'm…I'm sorry," she faltered as she tore her eyes away from Oz and looked at the woman by his side. She gave Serena's hand the briefest of shakes and looked back at Oz, muttering, "It's nice to meet you too." 

Serena looked from Oz to Willow then back again and suddenly stood up. "I think I'd better leave so that you can talk." She looked at Oz, hoping that he'd insist she stay but he merely shot her a quick glance and nodded.

Xander saw her dismayed look and took pity. It wasn't her fault, after all. "How about we go get a drink, huh?" he offered. Serena nodded and Xander stood back to allow her to walk passed him. "Good luck, Will," he whispered to his friend before turning and leaving her alone with Oz.

END PART 6


	7. Chapter Seven

PART 7

PART 7

Willow gestured towards a chair opposite Oz and he nodded. She sat down and leaned her elbows on the table, trying to adopt an air of calm. "So, how have you been?" she asked, smiling nervously. 

"Good," Oz replied quietly. 

"Really? That's great," she enthused and desperately tried to think of something else to say. "So…uh…I saw you playing when I came in. Sounded good. You have your own band now, huh?" 

Oz nodded silently. 

"What's the name?"

"Bite The Bullet."

"Cool," she said over-brightly. This was going awful. There was a short silence and then she tried again. "How long have you guys been together?" Just as he was about to answer, Willow hurriedly added, "The band I mean."

Oz raised an eyebrow at her unnecessary clarification but didn't pursue it. "About ten months."

"Oh, so you got together not long after you left Sunnydale that last time?"

"Yeah, we tried different clubs and then wound up here. Gypsy was great, she offered us a job on the spot."

"Gypsy?" Willow questioned in confusion.

"Oh…uh…I mean, Serena," he explained.

"I see." Willow's face fell a little as she noticed the way his voice softened as he said his girlfriends name. "She…um…Serena…she seems nice."

"Yes, she is," he agreed quietly. 

The witch felt as though her heart was literally breaking. "You seem very happy," she observed softly.

Oz stared at her and finally nodded. "I am Willow," he replied, equally softly. "I didn't think I _could_ be this happy again but I am. I mean, she doesn't bring the wolf out in me or anything, but hey…that's got to be a plus right?" At her nod, he added, "It's…I feel good when I'm with her, you know? Probably like you do with Tara." 

Now the opportunity had arisen to tell him what had happened she felt oddly reluctant. Having just listened to the way he spoke about Serena, she knew he was happy…content. It was the hardest decision she'd ever made but she knew that just like he did a year before, it was her turn to let go. 

So, with tears threatening to overflow, she forced herself to smile. "Yeah, just like me and Tara," she finally agreed.

Oz was about to say something more when a man walked up to the table. "Hey," Oz greeted, when he saw it was a very uncomfortable looking, Matt.

The drummer glanced at Willow and then back to Oz. "Hey. Look I'm sorry to interrupt but we've got the last set to do."

"Oh, yeah." The guitarist looked at Willow who immediately stood up.

"Well, I've got to be going anyway," she lied. "Xander and I have to be getting back home. Buffy can't be without us too long, you know."

Oz also stood and gave Matt a look. The drummer quickly made an excuse and then left them alone once again.

Willow turned to go but Oz firmly grasped her arm and held her back. "Wait a minute," he said. His touch sent a thrill down her spine so amazing that she let out an involuntary gasp before turning back to him with a questioning look.

"So, why did you come, Willow?" he asked in a serious tone, apparently not noticing her reaction.

"Xander told you; we were just passing through and thought we'd say Hi…" she began.

Oz shook his head dismissively. "I mean the _real_ reason. You couldn't have known I was here. The only person that knows is…" He stopped and frowned suddenly as he recalled the unusual conversation with a certain vampire. "Angel," he realised with sudden clarity. "Angel told you." 

Oz knew from the look on her face that he was right. His brows drew together in confusion as his mind wandered back over the chat he'd had with him. 

"What's going on?" he pressed. "First Angel turns up and we have this really weird conversation about you. And now you're here…" His voice softened suddenly as a wave of emotion came over him. "…in the flesh. Like I've dreamed of for so long." His gaze burned into hers, demanding a response, his grip on her arm tightening almost imperceptibly.

Willow noticed the change in him and, unable to stop herself, she automatically leaned towards him, her eyes firmly focussed on his mouth. Oh, to feel those lips against hers, just one more time. 

She was scant millimetres away from her goal, when Oz suddenly released her and took a step back. "I can't, Willow," he told her in a shocked tone. "Serena…she…I…I'm sorry."

She watched him walk away from her and up to the bar where Xander and Serena were having a drink, obviously trying not to stare at them. She saw Oz say something to Xander who then left them alone to go back to Willow. As her friend walked towards her, she continued to watch the couple at the bar, her breath catching in her throat as she saw Oz glance briefly in her direction. Just as Xander reached her and asked if she were alright, she let out a strangled cry and pushed past him, running out of the club. 

She leant against the outside wall and buried her face in her hands, giving way to the tears that had been brimming all night. Arms engulfed her in a comforting hug. "I know, Will, I know," Xander soothed gently. "I'm so sorry."

The witch appreciated his being there for her but didn't respond. All she could think about was how Oz had glanced her way then pulled Serena into his arms and leant in to kiss her slowly. Then, as if it wasn't torture enough, the kiss over, he had lifted his head and looked her way again. The meaning was clear; he'd done it deliberately for her to see. He had finally moved on.

END PART 7


	8. Chapter Eight

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 8

Xander opened the door to Willow's hotel room and ushered her inside. Her tears had stopped but she looked pale, her eyes, black smudges of pain. He mentally raged against the sometime werewolf, wishing he could knock some sense into him. He hated to see Willow looking so crushed.

"Do you want something to drink?" he asked as she sat down on the couch and stared mutely into space.

At the slight shake of her head his lips compressed together as he fought an inner battle not to say a few choice words about Oz. He lost. "I can't believe that after everything, he doesn't want you, Will!" he suddenly burst out. "I mean, true, he's seeing someone, but it's not like it's serious…he's hardly knows her for God's sake!" 

He started to pace up and down in front of her in agitation. "Didn't he realise that that whole Tara thing wasn't you? I mean, you explained everything, right?" he enquired as he stopped pacing to look at her with a frown. "Willow?" he prompted when she didn't immediately reply. He crouched down in front of her and let out a quiet sigh when he realised she couldn't look at him. "You didn't tell him, did you?" he guessed.

Willow closed her eyes and a single tear escaped down her right cheek as she shook her head in defeat.

"Why?" he asked softly, not understanding her decision.

She shrugged her shoulders and absently wiped away the tear before looking up at her friend. "Because I didn't want him to feel sorry for me," she whispered sadly. 

"What?" he exclaimed and stood up again, disbelief marring his features.

"Don't you understand?" she cried suddenly. "He's happy with Serena, if I'd told him about Tara, he would've felt bad about everything. I didn't want him to feel obligated…"

"You should've given him a chance to make that decision himself, Will," Xander interrupted heatedly.

"But what if he'd _still_ chosen _her_ over _me_?" Willow almost screamed the question at Xander and he froze, speechless, fully realising then why she did what she did. She was scared. 

As he stared at his now weeping friend, he couldn't help but wonder, not for the first time, why their lives were so damned complicated.

***********************************

Angel gave a groan of frustration and slammed the phone down. He leant back in his chair and rubbed his hands over his face tiredly. How many more times was he going to lift the receiver and _not_ call Buffy?

He let his arms drop and looked up to see Oz standing in the doorway. Both men stared at each other silently, then Oz moved forward and sat down in the chair in front of the vampires desk. "Tell me about Willow," he requested unemotionally.

Angel sighed and leaned forward. He'd been expecting this visit. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything."

Angel stared at him a moment longer then gave a curt nod. "OK, it all started when I phoned you at The Starlight…"

Half an hour later, Oz still sat in the chair opposite Angel but he had visibly sagged, his normally impassive face a mask of disbelief and guilt. "I didn't know. Why didn't she tell me?" he muttered remorsefully.

"She wanted you to be happy, that's why," came a voice from the doorway.

Angel looked up and Oz turned around in his seat to get a look at the man who stood behind him.

Xander stepped into the room and after flicking Oz a quick glance, he turned his attention to Angel. "Will and I are leaving so I've just come to settle up. What do we owe?"

Angel stood and eyed Xander consideringly before holding out his hand towards him expectantly. "I don't charge friends," he replied simply.

Xander hesitated momentarily and then clasped the vampire's hand and shook it firmly. "Thanks, Angel." The two men exchanged a look that confirmed their tentative peace and broke their hold. 

Xander turned to go but was stopped by Oz who stood up and blocked his path. "I never meant to hurt her," the werewolf said in a hushed voice. 

"Really?" Xander questioned with a frown. "Sure didn't look that way to me."

"She told me she was happy with Tara; I just wanted to show her that I was happy too," Oz defended.

"Trust me, she took the hint," the other man replied sarcastically.

Shame flowed through Oz and he shook his head. "I'm sorry."

The slayerette remained silent for a moment as he cast an unhappy look over his friend. "It's not me you have to apologise to," he said finally and then moved around the shorter man and walked out of the office, quietly shutting the door behind him. 

***********************************

Serena placed a cup of coffee on the table in front of Oz and sat down next to him with a sigh. She watched her boyfriend lift the cup of strong brew to his lips and take a sip as she tried to think of a tactful way to broach the subject she wanted to talk about. Willow.

She'd seen the way that the witch had run out of The Starlight and Oz's face as he'd stared after her only confirmed her already burgeoning suspicions that it was not over between them. The fact that he'd then immediately released her from their embrace and mumbled what she assumed was some kind of apology before walking away only added to her certainty.

And now, two hours later, he was back and sitting in her apartment. He wasn't his usual self though, _that_ she could plainly see. Gathering her courage, she took a deep breath and blurted out, "You went after her didn't you?"

Oz stared at her in surprise for a few seconds then slowly shook his head. "I went to see Angel," he refuted quietly.

Serena half-smiled. "But it was about _her_ wasn't it?" she pressed knowingly. "I saw the way you looked when she ran out, Oz," she added when he didn't appear to want to answer her.

He looked down, not able to meet her steady gaze. "Yes, it was about Willow. I found out some things…things that would've made a difference…" 

"Don't you mean they _do_ make a difference?" Serena broke in softly.

Oz closed his eyes as if to shut out the pain. He couldn't lie to her and yet, more than anything, he didn't want to hurt her either. He felt torn in half between the two most important women in his life and didn't know what to do.

Part of him realised that Serena had been there for him constantly during the last year and she was also finally finding the strength to move on. How could he just let her down and walk away as if it meant nothing…as if she meant nothing? 

Then there was the other part of him, the part that was ruled by his heart; the part that knew he'd never feel the same about anyone as he did about Willow. Even when he thought her heart belonged to someone else, he couldn't stop loving her and now he knew the truth…well, there was only one choice he _could_ make.

Serena saw the play of emotions over his normally impassive face and knew the answer to her question. If she were honest, she had known what would happen the minute Willow had shown up again in his life. He'd never looked at her the way he did Willow. 

Forcing back her own unhappiness, she managed a smile then gently touched a hand to Oz's face and he opened his eyes. Serena read the look of guilt and sorrow on his face and quickly spoke up so as not to hear the apology she knew was coming.

"Just go to her, Oz," she advised softly. "Put her out of her misery. It took a lot of guts for her to come here and I can only imagine what she must be going through having to give you up again. I know I wouldn't be able to, so I'm giving you this one chance."

Behind her lightly spoken words, Oz saw the pain it cost her to say what she had and he smiled tenderly. "I'm going to miss you, Gypsy," he whispered and then leaned in to kiss her on the lips.

Serena closed her eyes and let herself respond one last time to his touch. 'Funny how you can get so addicted to something in such a short time,' she thought as she reluctantly ended the kiss before her fragile control snapped.

"Goodbye, Oz," she said as he stood to go.

"Bye." He gave her one last long look and then was gone.

Serena stared at the door that Oz, seconds earlier, had departed through and allowed her tears to fall.

'What was that old saying about love?' she wondered as she idly picked up the cup with the now cold coffee in and walked over to the sink to rinse it out. 'Oh yes, the first cut is the deepest.' With a shake of her head, she knew without a doubt that where Oz was concerned, she'd definitely been sliced to the bone.


	9. Conclusion

CONCLUSION

CONCLUSION

Willow stared fixedly at the pencil she was rolling between her thumb and forefinger only half listening to the conversation that was going on around her in the library. 

Ever since she'd returned from L.A. three days before, she had not been able to get the heartbreaking image of Oz kissing Serena out of her mind. At night, her dreams were haunted by it and the daytime was spent feeling miserable and chastising herself constantly for letting him go in the first place.

She rolled the pencil again and suddenly realised that the room had gone deathly quiet around her. She looked up and saw Buffy staring at her in wide eyed excitement. Confused, she glanced at Xander and Giles who, in turn, had their shocked eyes locked on to something by the library doors. Following their gaze, Willow sucked in a sharp breath as déjà vu hit and she saw what they were looking at…Oz.

The young man stared straight at Willow and walked slowly over to her ignoring the other people in the room. "Hey," he greeted her quietly as he came to a stop next to her chair.

"Hey," she responded in kind.

They stared at each other until Oz turned away to look at the three people who were watching them. Silently, he begged them to leave so that Willow and he could have some privacy.

Giles nodded and turned away, followed by Buffy who grabbed hold of Xander's arm and dragged him with her when it appeared he was going to stay. He opened his mouth to object but Buffy just shook her head and pointed towards the door. With a final concerned look at the troubled couple, he turned and went with Buffy.

Oz turned back to Willow but didn't close the distance between them. The silence stretched on until Willow finally asked in a hesitant voice, "Wha…what are you doing here?" 

Oz's face gave nothing away as he replied, "I spoke to Angel and he told me about Tara. I just wanted to say that I'm sorry."

Disappointment flooded through her at his answer and she looked down, mumbling, "Oh, I see." It didn't cross her mind that he could've just phoned his condolences over.

"You should have told me, Willow," he said with a trace of annoyance.

She shook her head miserably and looked up at him again. "You just seemed so happy. I had no right…"

"Of course you had the right," he interrupted quickly.

Willow stared at him, a flutter of hope starting to rise in her stomach. "But…that kiss…"

"Was with the wrong person," he interrupted softly but firmly. "I care for Gypsy, but she's not you, Willow."

The witch gave him a tearful smile, then stood up to meet him as he took the few short steps needed to reach her and pull her into his warm embrace. They simply hugged for a while, just enjoying the feeling of being together again. 

Oz eventually pulled back slightly and raised a hand to her face, gently tracing the lines of her cheeks, jaw and mouth as if she were made of a fine porcelain that may shatter just by looking at it too hard.

"I love you," Oz whispered as he gently pushed her hair away from her face. "And I'm so sorry I hurt you." He leaned in and softly brushed his lips against hers. Once, twice and then he smiled before covering her lips again, more firmly this time.

Willow kissed him back and wound her arms around his neck pulling him closer as she opened her mouth to allow access to his probing tongue. The kiss deepened and they clung desperately to each other only parting when the need for air overwhelmed them both.

"Oh Oz, I'm sorry I hurt you too. It was unforgivable…the way I sent you away..."

"I've forgotten all about it," he assured her lovingly.

She kissed him again, happier than she'd been in days. "I love you so much," she told him between kisses. 

Suddenly, she tore her mouth from his and gazed at him worriedly. "Wait, what about Serena? Was she very upset? I mean…I'm the other woman…"

"No, Willow…you're the _only_ woman," he told her tenderly and drew her to him. "Besides, I have a feeling that Gypsy won't be on her own for long." 

Before Willow could ask what he meant, he was kissing her deeply again and she soon forgot about everything apart from the man in her arms. 

A while later, Willow was sat on Oz's lap, their arms wrapped around each other as they talked about what they'd done during their time apart.

A noise had them both looking up towards the door and they smiled at the three people who were stood there happily watching them.

"So, I take you're back together?" Buffy asked with a grin.

They both nodded and then stood up to be immediately engulfed by Buffy, Giles and Xander in a group hug. Congratulations, hugs and handshakes took place all around and it was decided that they go out have dinner to celebrate.

It was a fun time and they eventually all went back to Willow's parents house for a coffee. As the witch and werewolf made drinks, the slayer appeared in the kitchen saying that she had to leave.

"Giles just reminded me of a recent dead person that I have to go wait for to come back," Buffy explained. "Bummer, but I guess I'd better go."

She looked at them both and then hugged Oz. "Welcome back," she said then released him and turned to her best friend. 

"Come here," she ordered with tears in her eyes and gave Willow a bone crushing hug. "I'm so pleased for you," she whispered into her friends ear. "You so deserve to be happy."

"You too," Willow whispered back.

The girls broke apart and, with one last wave, Buffy left for her evening vigil.

Willow turned to Oz with tears in her eyes and tried to smile. He immediately wrapped his arms around her comfortingly.

"Do you think Angel and Buffy will ever manage to find a way to be together?" she asked her boyfriend.

"I believe there's a way to overcome every obstacle," Oz replied.

"Yeah, the first one being that they should at least _talk_ to each other," she reminded him with a sniffle.

"It'll only take one of them to gather up enough courage to make the first move for the other to respond," he guessed shrewdly and smiled. "It worked for us didn't it?"

Her answer was a long kiss that left them both breathless. "I'll take that as a yes, then," he chuckled.

She grinned and they companionably went back to making the coffee, each secure in the knowledge that this time their relationship was for good.

***********************************

The Starlight was finally closed for the night and with a weary sigh, Serena sat down at one of the tables to the right of the stage. Calculator in hand, she began to add up the weeks takings. 

As she checked through the sheets of paper, some of them slid noiselessly to the floor. Muttering a curse, she was about to pick them up when a hand got there before her. Looking up in surprise, she saw the arm belonged to, Bite The Bullet's handsome drummer, Matt. Flashing him a grateful smile, she took the invoices from his hand and thanked him.

"You're welcome," he replied somewhat shyly.

Serena looked at him curiously and then frowned. "You know, I think that's the first time you've actually ever spoken to me."

"Really?" he asked in mild surprise, knowing full well she was right.

"Yes," she reiterated, then gave him a slow appraising look from head to toe, as if seeing him for the first time. "So, how are things going with the band? Think you'll be able to handle it?"

"Yeah, the new guy seems to fit in OK; course he'll never be as good as Oz but…" He faltered to a halt as he realised what he'd said and looked contrite.

Serena noticed his concern and was touched. Few men were sensitive to a woman's feelings. True, it would take her a long time to get over Oz, but she thought that maybe this man in front of her might just be able to help. 

She gave him a sweet smile and reached out to touch his arm in a gesture of friendship. "Don't worry, Matt, you can say his name, I won't dissolve into a mass of tearful hysterics."

The worried look left his face and was replaced by an answering smile that made him look suddenly appealing. 

"And if there's ever anything you need to talk to me about regarding the band or anything, then please feel free to come and see me…anytime," she added on impulse.

Matt's smile grew wider and he nodded. "Thanks Serena, I'll remember that." 

He gave her a brief nod then strode away, a huge grin on his face. He was sorry that Oz had left as they'd been good friends, but with him out of the picture, he could finally stop feeling guilty about his own romantic feelings towards Serena. He loved her and given time, he was sure she could get her to feel the same way.

A few blocks away in a small office, seated behind a large desk, was a vampire with a soul who was trying to calm himself down. Nerves were stretched to the limit and his mouth felt dry as a bone as he forced himself to remain composed. 

"Come on, you can do this," he told himself firmly. In all his years on this earth, he'd never been more afraid than he was right at that moment. Demons, witches, the Master…nothing remotely compared what he faced now.

He wasn't going to make it. He could feel himself weaken…knew he couldn't last out. Suddenly the ringing in his ears stopped and a voice spoke. Angel clutched the telephone receiver to his ear and forced himself to answer. There was no backing out now. "Hi Buffy? It's me…" He felt the tension ebb from his body and his face relaxed into a smile and he leaned back comfortably into his chair. "Yeah, it's good to hear your voice too…"

THE END


End file.
